Admin l Wednesday, September 04, 2019
PENTAGON, United States – Contrary to his electoral promise to compel Mexico to fund construction of the U.S-Mexico border, President Donald Trump has opted to divert USD3.6 billion from Defence budget in the quest to fulfil his electoral promise ahead of the elections.
According to officials in the Department of Defense, 127 military construction projects in both the United States and overseas will be suspended to free $3.6 billion for construction border walls along 175 miles of the southern U.S. border.
Jonathan Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs told reporters in that the Department of Homeland Security has sent a list of prioritized border construction projects for DOD review in February.
Hoffman said Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper “has determined that such construction projects are necessary to support the use of the armed forces, and, therefore, DOD will undertake 11 border barrier military construction projects on the southern border pursuant to section 2808 of Title X, U.S. Code.”
The $3.6 billion will be delivered to the Army in two allotments, Hoffman said, adding that the first $1.8 billion is associated with deferred overseas projects and that the second half of the money, associated with deferred projects in the United States and its territories, will be made available to the Army only if needed.
Kenneth P. Rapuano, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and global security, said the 11 projects at the southern border involve strengthening or augmenting existing, less effective barriers, as well as installing barriers where none currently exist.
Hoffman said that DHS, DOD and the Army Corps of Engineers are moving as expeditiously as possible.
“They have been going through the planning, the permitting process, and the [engineering] process to begin the projects,” Hoffman said. “So, the goal is to move out as quickly as possible.”
